My hair show/party to celebrate me going onto the floor is next Tuesday. Instead of spending time writing a long post, I’m gonna plan for my event and leave you with this funny little video I found on Youtube. Please don’t try this at home…

It’s officially crunch time. My final hair exam is in 5 sleeps and my graduation in on May 1st. I have less than a week to learn a million things that I’ll likely never use as a hair stylist, and nearly three weeks to organise my grad presentation. I’ll have to work equally hard at both, but I’m understandably more excited about preparing for the latter. The energy at school has been odd lately. Girls are having anxiety about being thrust into the real world prematurely and teachers have started to (refreshingly) mark more strictly. People have even been crying! Thank god I’ve been indoctrinated with Rain Salon’s number 1 rule : THERE’S NO CRYING IN HAIRDRESSING.

And thank god for “Mummy 911”. Life would probably be harder for me if I didn’t have probably the best mum EVER. I called her in a tizzy last week and told her how busy my month is, and how time to clean house is nonexistent. I tried to bribe her but it wasn’t even necessary. She hopped on a ferry and has been here for two days. She’s already cleaned half my house, re-organised Chris’s and my closet (mine’s a tad bigger), and has her sights set on my ironing pile. She’s currently sitting next to me writing up flash cards for my exam and munching away on Smart Food popcorn, the only payment required! Because I should be studying over blogging, I’ve decided to take the visual route with this posting. I’ve been doing a lot of men’s cuts since school started. A lot. I have a husband who’s hair grows quickly, and a lot of friends with penises. (Can I get a “woot-woot” for penises?) Anyway, I love my husband, l love my dude friends, and well, I kind of just love doing men’s cuts. Which I think makes me pretty good at them…. enjoy.

Beards of a feather? Christopher and John Ross. My two favorite beards.

I make a mean squash casserole. I found a recipe online months ago that has slowly evolved into my own. I don’t do recipes. I’m a “dash of this”, “handful of that” kind of girl. Don’t tell me how much to measure. Why would I want to be a mathematician in the kitchen when I could be an artiste? Really.

So, this casserole. It’s a crowd pleaser. Unfortunately it gives everyone the farts, but thankfully our guests tonight are old friends. However, at this exact moment, I’m patting myself on the back (but not actually) for my menu choice, because my guests arrive in one hour, the casserole is made (it just needs another 20 minutes in the oven for the cheese to melt and the insides to warm) and I have a whole load of time to blog!

I’d like to start by explaining my Blogatus, Blogcation, Blogiday, Semi-Blogtirement if you will… Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It’s been 13 days since my last blog.

My senior cat Frank is a precious little man. He was given to me twelve years ago as a gift from my high school sweetheart. Contrary to popular belief, it is Frank and not herpes that is the gift that keeps on giving. Over the last decade and a bit, he has enriched my life, taught me lessons and loved me back ferociously. Three years ago, he met Christopher, his new Daddy (sorry high school sweetheart, but you just weren’t there for him…) and we’ve been a happy little family since, especially since adding little Brian May to the mix. Oh life! You couldn’t get better! BUT WAIT!!

A little over a week ago, Frank was taken ill. Christopher took him to the Vancouver Feline Hospital over that weekend and he didn’t leave until last Wednesday. It was a grueling and emotional week for us. They didn’t know exactly what was wrong with him at first and I was so busy with school on the weekend that I couldn’t visit him for days! I think that was the worst part. I could deal with Frank being sick. I had faith in the little guy and truly believed he would get better and stick with us for a good many years. But not being able to see him or let him know I was there for him was torture! And I wasn’t there for him. I was at school and work, trying to focus on hair, but thinking only of my first born! I could have blogged, I suppose. If I have to, I seem to be able to find the time. But they would have been Frank Posts. Non-stop. I would have had to buy catsbykatierose.com and that just wasn’t in the budget…

In a nut shell, Frank has broken kidneys. It’s called Chronic Renal Insufficiency. Basically, his kidneys aren’t working well/properly. He is unable to stay hydrated for any length of time, no matter how much he drinks. The condition had also caused toxins to build up in his body, and that’s what was making him sick. The good news is that Frank can live with this condition for a long time, providing we give him the proper care, food and quality of life. When he came home last Wednesday, Frank showed some visible changes. He’d put on a few pounds (not that he needed to), was a little weak and wobbly, and was sporting two shaved arms from where the IV had been. The poor little guy looked like some drunk, ADHD person had started to shave him into a poodle but then got distracted.

Every day we have to give Frank an injection. He sits patiently (positive intention) while we stick a needle into his back fat and inject 200ml of SQ fluids under the skin. To simplify it, I call it Gatorade. You get the picture. We have to do this for Frank every day for the rest of his life. He’s worth the effort. And the vet bill that we won’t talk about. I don’t want to start crying again.

Since his return nearly a week ago, life has been good but busy. Frank is like a new man. He has taken to play fighting with Brian. (He reminds me of a sumo wrestler when he attacks). Right now however, I am appreciating this rare quiet moment. The boys are snuggled, sleeping on the couch next to me as I tap-tap away, Frank with his little bald arms and Brian with his general adorable-ness.

Sharon and Aaron are due to arrive in fifteen minutes. I can’t wait to see them. Sharon is my best friend from high school. She’s hot AND funny. Aaron is her boyfriend that I totally approve of. I hope they’re okay with farting on front of each other, ‘cause they’re about to be fed squash casserole.

Nobody really wants to hear about my stressful day at the salon, do they? Well, tough titties.

I started the day with a cut and highlights model, a pretty young girl with lovely, but ridiculous amounts of hair! I thought I was a superstar and that I’d have her finished in three hours. Not so. The poor thing sat there patiently for about FIFTY HOURS (okay, maybe a bit less…) Thankfully, her hair turned out well, which is what we all want at the end of the day (besides a warm meal, a place to call home, and someone to love us for us.)

By the time I had Saint Kristen out the door, my next model, Lorianne had been waiting – let’s just say – a while. Thankfully she had shorter, finer hair, but because I was running late, I was still working within a strict time constraint. I asked my boss, Victor to help supervise me. He inspires me and scares the poop out of me, all at once. After Victor double checked the colour formula I wanted to use and gave me some tips, I was off… Call me Usain Bolt and give me a medal ’cause I had that little lady’s highlights completed (and round brushed) in two hours. Thankfully, Lorianne was a sweetheart. She smiled and chatted her way through the appointment and didn’t make me feel awful for making her wait. (I owe her one heck of a Mocha though…)

Things I got from today:

– a cut finger (common as H1N1)

– a high five from Victor (not to be sneezed at)

– 2 lovely new models (please come back and see me!)

– a day old rotisserie chicken from Meinhardt’s discounted to $4.99 (Sorry, I had to add that to the list. I’m a sucker for a bargain.)

So here ends my most stressful day at Rain, to date. I assure you, there will be many. I’m snuggled up on the couch with Frank and Brian, listening to Christopher at work in the next room, and procrastinating cleaning the kitchen.

It’s been a monumental week for our little family. I finally started hair school and our amazing twelve-year-old cat, Frank, got himself a new little brother. Three-month-old Brian May Bradford came to live with us on Sunday. It’s been a week of ups and downs. Brian is a resilient little fellow and has literally “thrown” himself into our family. He plays and cuddles like nobody’s business. He also reminds me of my little brother… he eats as though he hasn’t been fed in a week. We got him from VOKRA (Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association). They are an amazing organization that provides orphaned cats and kittens with foster homes, and has a NO KILL policy. If anyone wants a kitty, and lives in the lower mainland, PLEASE go to VOKRA! Anyway, I thought I’d cut my workload in half by getting Brian to tell you about his week, while I told you about mine…

My Week

By: BRIAN

By: KATIE-ROSE

HAIR

Oh, fluffy baby hairs mostly. All grey except for some white that Mum says looks like a bikini and that bit on my neck that Dad says looks like a reverend’s collar. What’s a reverend?

I like my new Mum and Dad lots. Me and Frank did some hissing and it was stupid and then Frank ignored me like I was invisibles and then we touched noses and smelled bum holes and now we are brothers.

Helped my boss Victor all day for the first time. Nerve-wracking but rewarding. Shampooed a scary lady who made me feel AWFUL for getting a water droplet on her face. Hair school instructor and class mates seem nice and friendly, but not any nose-touching and bum-smelling to date.

SLEEP HABITS

Oh, great! I sleep and I wake up and I play and I sleep and I wake up and I jump on Mum and then I sleep and then I jump on Dad and then I play and then I sleep and then it’s breakfast times!

Um, not great. Thanks, Brian.

HIGHLIGHTS

Getting a forever Mum and Dad, getting a new brother, peacock feathers, running up and down hallways, running up and down curtains, foods!

Did I say phone call? Make that a direct Twitter message. It said “Thanks for following! love, yoko IMAGINE PEACE: Think PEACE, Act PEACE, Spread PEACE.” So maybe she’s sent that out to all 493,354 of her followers, but for about three seconds I felt extremely special.

It’s been a good week. One full of motivation, clarity, checking things off of my big old list, getting hair contacts and losing my blog virginity. The good energy in my apartment this week is most likely due to my amazing daddy at shaktisolution.ca “cleansing” our home for us. Through a combination of mantras, fancy bells, intention and some other stuff, he “space cleared” for us…. might sound airy-fairy to you. But believe me, this shit works. (I guarantee, Oprah would be all over it.)